The Socceroos face Kuwait in the opening match in their quest to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Join The Roar for live scores and commentary from 1:30am (AEST).

After the momentous and tense qualification campaign that led to eventual qualification for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the Socceroos next mission comes around incredibly quickly and the journey begins tonight against Kuwait.

The Socceroos are grouped with Nepal, Chinese Taipei, Jordan and Kuwait in the opening stage of qualifying.

Whilst advancement should be relatively easy, the strength of Asian football should never be underestimated, and Jordan have traditionally been something of a nemesis for the Socceroos.

It will be interesting to see how Graham Arnold attempts to navigate the early matches; knowing full well that a quick start is of immense value to his team, considering the stresses of previous campaigns.

Kuwait will hustle, bustle and attempt to stifle the more credentialed Australians tonight and it will be up to the Socceroos to find consistent avenues through their defence and the goals, that could set them up well in the group going forward.

Prediction
Logic suggests that the Socceroos will be too strong for Kuwait tonight and anything less than a clear victory by two or three goals for the Socceroos will be assessed as nothing less than a failure considering the stakes. They should be well and truly primed for this match and Graham Arnold will have left no stone unturned in their preparation.

Stuart Thomas is a sports writer and educator who made the jump from Roar Guru to Expert in 2017. An ex-trainee professional golfer, his sporting passions are broad with particular interests in football, AFL and rugby league. His love of sport is only matched by his passion for gardening and self-sustainability.